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was judaism the first religion against human sacrifice?

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
Yes. Probably they were.

Gelo I defeated the Carthaginians in 480 aC and chased them away from Sicily. All the Phoenician/Carthaginians who remained in Sicily were forbidden from performing human sacrifices.
Meaning that the Greeks were horrified by this practice.
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
Arguably, Noachidism was the first:

"Whoever sheds the blood of man, By man shall his blood be shed; For in His image Did God make man." (Genesis 9:6)​
 

Starlight

Spiritual but not religious, new age and omnist
Ancient Egyptians didn't practice human sacrifice following the early dynastic period and even then at that time it seems that it was confined to king's servants following him in the grave. We lose any sign of such practice from 2800 BC onward, well before judaism arised and Hebrew stopped the practice of human sacrifice.
but was Judaism the first religion to receive a message from God that human sacrifice is forbidden? in the Tanakh God made human sacrifice forbidden
 

epronovost

Well-Known Member
but was Judaism the first religion to receive a message from God that human sacrifice is forbidden? in the Tanakh God made human sacrifice forbidden

If a culture doesn't practice human sacrifice and that their law is believed to be derived from divine source, like all ancient civilisation did, does that mean that one of their deity forbids it? In a culture that simply doesn't practice it, the idea of specifically prohibiting it is a bit strange. It would be like having a law that prevents you from cookinng your own daughters with paprica. That's an odd thing to forbid since we are all in agreement that killing children is bad, let alone cooking and eating them. It doesn't need to be said.

Zoroastrianism was also mentionned earlier and is generally considered a little older than judaism and doesn't make human sacrifices.
 
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Starlight

Spiritual but not religious, new age and omnist
If a culture doesn't practice human sacrifice and that their law is believed to be derived from divine source, like all ancient civilisation did, does that mean that one of their deity forbids it? In a culture that simply doesn't practice it, the idea of specifically prohibiting it is a bit strange. It would be like having a law that prevents you from cookinng your own daughters with paprica. That's an odd thing to forbid since we are all in agreement that killing children is bad, let alone cooking and eating them. It doesn't need to be said.

Zoroastrianism was also mentionned earlier and is generally considered a little older than judaism and doesn't make human sacrifices.
many religions and cultures in acient times did practice human sacrifice. in acient times not all people realized that human sacrifice is wrong
 

epronovost

Well-Known Member
many religions and cultures in acient times did practice human sacrifice. in acient times not all people realized that human sacrifice is wrong

Indeed. Egypt was a place where human sacrifice was considered wrong and wasn't practice. That's true from a time where there were no such thing as a Hebrew civilisation let alone judaism.
 

Starlight

Spiritual but not religious, new age and omnist
Indeed. Egypt was a place where human sacrifice was considered wrong and wasn't practice. That's true from a time where there were no such thing as a Hebrew civilisation let alone judaism.
How do you know the egyptians though human sacrifice was wrong? Do you have evidence of this?
 

epronovost

Well-Known Member
How do you know the egyptians though human sacrifice was wrong? Do you have evidence of this?

They did not practiced it and murder or killing other people was considered wrong in their society. A sacrifice is killing someone. There is no statute today explicitly prohibiting human sacrifice, but its understood to be murder by our law and our customs. It's the same thing for Ancient Egyptians.
 

Starlight

Spiritual but not religious, new age and omnist
They did not practiced it and murder or killing other people was considered wrong in their society. A sacrifice is killing someone. There is no statute today explicitly prohibiting human sacrifice, but its understood to be murder by our law and our customs. It's the same thing for Ancient Egyptians.

thanks for good information
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
I don't know :emojconfused: maybe @Harel13 or @RabbiO know about this question?
I believe it comes out in the year 1657 to the creation. The Noachide laws were given after the flood ended, which was a year after it began. So 1657 to the creation, which is the 22nd century BCE. Certain descendants of Shem continued to keep the laws until the time of Abraham. Abraham was the first person to receive a new commandment, circumcision, but this still wasn't proper Judaism as we know it. That truly began at Mt. Sinai, nearly 800 years after the flood.
 
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